Tourism should be back in business soon

People are ready, but eagles somewhat scarce

BY SCOTT COUSINS - For the Telegraph

Although eagle watching is limited at this point in the Riverbend region thereby limiting tourism, a group of bicyclist didn’t mind the cold weather on Sunday morning and took advantage of the clear bike trail behind MidWest Motor Sports in Hartford.

Dan Cruz | For The Telegraph

Flooding has pretty much shut down tourism in the Alton area and officials are hoping that receding waters and cleanup efforts starting in the next few days will bring people to the area again.

Other eco-tourism is available in the Riverbend region, such as cycling, but at the same time, there is some concern that warm weather will keep eagles from migrating south. Eagle watching makes up a good deal of the winter tourism along the Great River Road.

“With the impact of the flooding, it definitely shuts down a good portion of our tourism product,” said Greater Alton Convention and Visitor’s Bureau President Brett Stawar.

That includes canceling the Audubon Eagle Festival, which had been set for this weekend. He noted that other organizations also have been canceling river-related events.

According to Stawar, one concern has been numerous road closures making it more difficult to simply get to Alton and then north.

“It deters a lot of people from coming over here. So we’ve got our work cut out for us,” he said.

Although some businesses in Grafton are open, the River Road remained closed as of Sunday.

At Jeni J’s Unique Gifts and Guesthouses in Grafton, owner Nancy Wilson said the gift/wine shop and several of the cottages still are open for business, but it has been very slow.

“There’s a flood road that’s accessible off of Route 3,” she said.

She added that cleanup on the other cottages will begin soon.

Alton business owners also face incorrect perception that all of Downtown Alton is underwater.

“People are surprised when we tell them we are open,” Stawar said.

Once cleanup starts and the River Road opens, the area should be open for tourism business.

“I don’t know the exact schedule, but I think within a week Alton should be back in shape,” he noted.

The Mississippi River crested at 35.7 feet at 6 p.m. Thursday after days of anticipation and is predicted to recede to normal levels in two weeks, according to the National Weather Service. Alton Fire Chief Bernie Sebold, who also serves as the city’s Emergency Services Disaster Agency director, said Saturday afternoon that street department workers would start dismantling the temporary flood wall that protected downtown. He noted that the biggest concern was freezing weather, which would force street department workers to shift to other duties.

Although the CVB did have some guests — including several who came for the Eagle Festival — workers had been busy making sure everything remained dry.

“We will push the go button sometime this week,” Stawar said.

That includes the Alton Eagle Meet and Greet, set from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays in January at the Visitors Center, 200 Piasa Street, Alton.

Visitors will be able to get up close to a bald eagle, and there also will be tours.

“Don’t know where they’ll be able to go, but we’ll take them somewhere,” Stawar said.

He added they are considering rescheduling the Eagle Festival, but noted the event normally kicks off the eagle-watching season, and they don’t want to compete with other events.

That has created an issue of how to give away some donated prizes. Stawar said they will have to come up with some creative ideas for giveaways.

He also noted that Restaurant Week is set for Jan. 15-24. More information is available at www.altonrestaurantweek.com.

Bluff City Tours’ Greg Gelzinnis said another concern is there are not a lot of eagles here yet.

“It has been so unseasonably warm, not only here but to the north at this point,” he said. “I’m fearful of what kind of eagle migration we even have. I have not been over to Riverlands (West Alton) in about two weeks, but when I was over there two weeks ago I only saw a couple of swans.”

TreeHouse Wildlife Center’s senior wildlife technician Pam Lippert said eagles have been moving into the area, but numbers are fewer so far this season.

She noted that the center had “a good crowd” Saturday, yet it has been slower than usual. Lippert said part of the reason was that people had to use back roads to get to the center, and that people are unwilling to drive long distances for eagle watching when access to nearer locations is so limited.

Even with that, she noted that they have spotted some eagles in the area.

“You never know where you’re going to see them,” she said. “Several have been spotted away from the river.”

She said another change is that there are more nesting pairs in the area.

“With more nesting eagles, you can see pairs and observe them year-round,” she said. “It’s a different kind of eagle watching, it’s a different kind of fun.”

Gelzinnis noted that last year there were more than 1,000 eagles in the area.

“It’s going to be challenging,” he said. “The whole issue for folks is not necessarily what’s happening here in Alton, but what’s happening in Central Canada, or Northern Michigan, or Wisconsin.

“That’s where the eagles are coming from. If the streams and ponds and rivers are not frozen, there is not much of a reason for them to leave.”

Gelzinnis said they have several programs running later in January and early February.

“My hope is that things right themselves by then, and we have freer access to where the birds are than we do today.”

People are ready, but eagles somewhat scarce

BY SCOTT COUSINS

For the Telegraph

Although eagle watching is limited at this point in the Riverbend region thereby limiting tourism, a group of bicyclist didn’t mind the cold weather on Sunday morning and took advantage of the clear bike trail behind MidWest Motor Sports in Hartford.

http://thetelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_1a0104StandAlone3_cruz.jpgAlthough eagle watching is limited at this point in the Riverbend region thereby limiting tourism, a group of bicyclist didn’t mind the cold weather on Sunday morning and took advantage of the clear bike trail behind MidWest Motor Sports in Hartford. Dan Cruz | For The Telegraph